It has been almost a year since we've seen "Bazooka" Joe Valtellini in action. At GLORY 17 Los Angeles Valtellini was victorious over then-champion Marc de Bonte securing the GLORY Welterweight Championship. Since then fans have been anxiously awaiting the rematch between Valtellini and Nieky Holzken, Holzken himself feeling rather impatient over how many times the bout has been pushed back.

Now we know why and it is pretty heartbreaking. According to our friend John Joe O'Regan over at BloodyElbow the GLORY Champ has been suffering from Post-Concussion Syndrome, which includes sensitivity to light or loud noises and has kept him on the shelf for a while now. According to Valtellini there is still no real timetable for him being able to start training again and return to the ring so he made the tough decision of vacating the championship. Valtellini notes that it could be a matter of weeks until he is better or it could be a matter of months, it's simply difficult to tell at this point.

Here's hoping to a speedy recovery for Valtellini and we will hopefully see him vying for that GLORY Welterweight Championship again in no time.

Along with yet another successful card Glory also announced their next event which will take place on Friday the 19th of December. Glory 19 is rumoured to take place in the USA however no official location is confirmed at the moment.

Headlining the card will be the Heavyweight title bout between the current champion Rico Verhoeven as he takes on Errol Zimmerman for the third time. Zimmerman won the initial encounter with a brutal KO in less than a minute at It's Showtime in January of 2012 with Verhoeven leveling the score with a points victory in New York at Glory 9 in June of last year.

Zimmerman earned the right to fight for the belt after winning the Heavyweight Contender tournament back in May at Glory 16. Zimmerman, who's been incredibly inconsistent throughout his career, needed just a single round on both occasions to finish both Anderson Silva and Ben Edwards. Zimmerman aims to finally live up to his potential and put a convincing end to his trilogy with Verhoeven.

Verhoeven is currently riding a 6-fight win streak with all victories coming by decision. Verhoeven has only competed once this year under the Glory promotion, defeating Daniel Ghita for a second time in a highly anticipated rematch at Glory's marquee event this past June. Verhoeven has kept busy in 2014 though, making his professional boxing debut back in April where he KO'd Hungarian fighter Janos Finfera inside two rounds. Verhoeven will be looking for his first stoppage victory since May 2011.

Also due to feature on the card is the Welterweight contender tourney, with the winner facing Joseph Valtellini in his first title defence. The tournament features two intriguing match-ups between Raymonds Daniels vs. Jonatan Oliveria and Nieky Holzken vs. Artur Kyshenko.

Jonatan Oliveira is currently undefeated in Glory, winning both of his contests by decision. He'll be taking a big step up in competition though as he looks to take on the human highlight reel in Raymond Daniels. Daniels is fresh of his ridiculous spinning heel kick KO of Francois Ambang back in May and will be looking to win this tourney so he can take revenge on Valtellini, whom beat him via KO last December.

Holzken is probably wondering why he wasn't given an immediate shot against the champion, considering he's widely regarded as the best Welterweight on the planet and already has a convincing win over Valtellini. Holzken will take on a man whom has defeated him previously in Artur Kyshenko. Kyshenko has competed twice for Glory, most recently losing a lacklustre decision to Karapet Karapetyan back in March. Kyshenko has always been regarded as supremely talented however his fluctuations in weight class and general inconsistency have held him back from reaching his full potential.

In the coming weeks look out for more announcements regarding the location of this card as well as additions to the fight card.

Nieky Holzken has not only been an unstoppable force in Glory lately but also was a big part in the two most viewed Glory cards to date. So it seemed only natural that we should sit down and have a little talk with him about all his recent success.

LK: Hello Nieky, thank you for taking the time for this interview. How has everything been since we saw you last in Virginia?

NH: hello yeah I'm fine training is going well.

LK: Lets start from the beginning, what age did you start Kickboxing, where did you start and what made you start?

NH: i start when i was 10 because of the movie Kickboxer in a gym called Yamaneko.

LK: What are your Current fight stats height, weight, record, etc?

NH: im 183cm 77 kg 103fights/92/11/53ko's

LK: How and who gave you the Nickname "The Natural"?

NH: Mike Passenier from Mike's Gym after a fight in England.

LK: What do you like to do during your time away from the gym?

NH: gaming, watching movies

LK: Even though you had a few Pro boxing fights last year, and a kickboxing fight in December, you said you still felt a bit rusty against Stetsurenko can you explain this?

NH: yeah he was a strong guy and i keep in mind that i have to fight a final

LK: How nice did it feel to get back in the Glory ring after one year, not only once but twice in one night so you could totally knock off the ring rust?

NH: yeah it feel great, I did what I had to do.

LK: Give me your honest opinion, did Raymond Daniels get up from your knockdowns more times than you expected? Also how did you feel about the ref giving you an 8 count in that fight?

NH: yeah he has good heart to come up every, time respect for him. But I don't deserve the 8 count I slipped and stand up very fast and it didn't hurt me.

LK: I'm sure you heard that both the #1 and #2 most viewed Glory events are Tokyo, and Virginia which both included you, what do you think about this?

NH: its luck i'm guessing haha

LK: One thing i've been wondering lately about your career is what is the difference between the Nieky Holzken at 70kgs as opposed to 77kgs, I've always noticed you are much more dominant at the heavier weight, is it the weight cut?

NH: yeah its the weight cut that was my biggest fights

LK: We all know that your next Glory fight will be against Valtellini, we just aren't sure when yet. Do you have any other fights planned in the meantime?

NH: yeah two fights in boxing april 19 and 24 may

LK: Valtellini has been very outspoken about fighting you on social media since his close victory over Mark De Bonte even though you have already knocked him out. I spoke to some of your family about this in Virginia, but I think you should tell all the fans how you feel about Valtellini, don't hold back.

NH: yeah Valtelinni says hes the champ and that he expects more from the next time we meet so he will get more much more.

LK: How was training in America with the Blackzillians compared to training in Holland?

NH: yeah the same because I train only with my trainer.

LK: What does the future hold for "The Natural"? Possible Pro boxing career? have there actually been talks with Showtime signing you?

NH: I concentrate a lot on boxing. I didn't hear anything about showtime I wish haha.

Results are in from this weekend, and there were three kickboxing events of interest.

Top 10 Middlewweight Nieky Holzken (ranked #6) was in action this weekend, headlining a Golden Glory event in Eindhoven and challenging Thilo Schneider for the WFCA World Title. The intense Holzken brought the fight to Schneider early, using a wide range of techniques to overwhelm his opponent and score the 2nd round TKO win. A bit of an ugly moment in the 2nd round here after Holzken dropped Schneider with a punch. As Schneider was down on one knee in the corner, the referee was slow to step in and Holzken blasted his clearly downed opponent with a brutal punch that rocked the completely exposed Schneider. Poor reffing there for sure, but also not the most sportsmanlike move from Holzken. After the fight Faldir Chahbari entered the ring and challenged Holzken. Those two put on one of the best fights in 2009 with Holzken pulling off a close decision win, and I would have no problem seeing them square off again.

In Australia, the big event was Knees of Fury 32, headlined by Paul Slowinski vs. Thor Hoopman. Slowinski (pictured) was able to get his revenge on Hoopman for a 2009 loss, as the long-time K-1 veteran scored a 1st round KO victory over his younger opponent. The difference in the fight seemed to be Slowinski's power, which proved too much for the smaller Hoopman. At one point, Slowinski was able to simply pick Hoopman up and slam him to the mat in a throw that was low on technique, but high on strength. As the round progressed, Slowinski increased his pressure, landing multiple punch combos that dropped Hoopman before the referee stepped in and stopped the fight. Great win for Slowinski, who was talking about retiring two years ago, but is now 8-2 in the last year and getting ready for a May showdown with Daniel Ghita in what will be Slowinski's biggest international fight since the 2008 K-1 GP Finals. Hoopman remains a young talent to watch, but this is a definite setback for him, and he will need to figure out how to deal with bigger, stronger opponents if he hopes to remain at Heavyweight. Elsewhere on the card Wes Capper stopped Kym Johnson in 1 round, Flip Street defeated Myles Simpson by TKO after round 2, Sarah O'Connell decisioned Tenille May, Charlie Chau KO'd Hiki Hanui in the 1st via leg kicks, and Cameron Murcott stopped Steve Behan, again in the 1st.

Finally, over in Japan was R.I.S.E. 74 with a pair of title fights as the main attraction. In the main event, Kosuke Komiyama took a 5 round split decision win over Kan Itabashi to become the new R.I.S.E. 60 kg champion, while Koji Yoshimoto and Yusuke Sugawara battled to a Draw in a 63kg title fight. Yoshimoto remains the champion after the draw decision. The other notable fight was Dyki vs. Hiroki Maeda, where Dyki scored the decision win. The event also included a retirement ceremony for K-1 MAX veteran Tatsuji.

In the brief amount of time that GLORY was airing on Spike TV many were critical that there weren't more stars born from the organization, or that the fighters never really connected to their audience. This, of course, is true to an extent, but where should the blame lie in such a situation? Many point to Spike TV's lack of support and marketing. There was no real "shoulder programming" on the network to promote the events or the personalities. On the other hand, GLORY has been doing YouTube videos hyping up their events and while the production is slick and up to industry standards, without these fighters been more well known they were simply set dressing that didn't tell a story.

Former GLORY Welterweight Champion Joseph Valtellini might be on the sidelines thanks to concussion related issues, but that doesn't stop him from having an opinion on these matters. If you were to reflect on GLORY's run in America thus far it would be safe to say that Valtellini has been one of the few names that has stood out from the rest of the crowd. Obviously a talented fighter inside of the ring, what made him so popular were the things that he did outside of the ring. His personality stood out, without being too over the top, and fans responded in kind.

Today he aired some of his frustrations via Twitter on how other fighters, media and fans have been pointing fingers everywhere but towards the fighters themselves, who are, in the end, responsible for their own lives and careers. His take is, in the least, sobering while also being educational to some fighters who are struggling to capture the hearts and minds of audiences like Valtellini was able to do in a short period of time. The secret? Don't be afraid to be yourself, even if that is slightly amplified to be more visible.

Think pro wrestling.

Seen a lot of BS as to why KB isn't more popular. Stop blaming the orgs. Fighters need to look at this like a biz and promote themselves

Not everyone will agree with Valtellini, but his success within the sport is beyond reproach. He's a smart guy and he has done a lot for himself, maybe it's time for people to listen to what he has to say.

There has been an onslaught of fight announcements in the past few days. To keep you up to speed, we're putting them together here in one story, so let's get to it.

Feb. 19 - Shootboxing act.1: We previously announced that UFC veteran Kuniyoshi Hironaka would be on this card against an opponent TBA. His opponent is now set, and it's Satoru Suzuki. The Japanese ex-boxer had a good year in Shootboxing in 2010, but ended the year breaking his arm and being forced out of the S-Cup. This is his first fight back from the injury.

Feb. 26 - Golden Glory Eindhoven: Top 10 fighter Nieky Holzken is in action, facing Thilo Schneider in a Golden Glory sponsored event. Holzken is moving back and forth between the 70 and 77kg limits these days - hopefully he can settle down and find where he fights best this year.

Feb. 27 - RISE 74: A few good fights set for the latest edition of Japan's RISE promotion. The show will feature two title fights: 60kg champion Kan Itabashi faces Kousuke Komiyama, while 63kg champion Koji Yoshimoto meets Yusuke Sugawara. The show will also include the retirement of former K-1 MAX fighter Tatsuji. Full card at HeadKickLegend.

March 6 - It's Showtime Amsterdam: IS added a pair of interesting fights to their first show of 2011. First, Wendell Roche fights Danyo Ilunga for the vacant IS 95kg title. We'll have more on this fight in the coming weeks. Plus, Chahid Oulad El Hadj vs. Robin van Roosmalen in what should be an exciting match up.

March 12 - Fight Nights: Battle of Moscow: Top 5 MW Albert Kraus headlines this show against Batu Khasikov. Kraus is a busy fighter who takes a fair number of these smaller fights, typically knocking his opponents out. But as Souwer showed us this weekend - anything can happen.

April 2 - Explosion Fight Night 3: This French Muay Thai event is notable for a 4 man K-1 rules tournament that will feature Sudsakorn. The Thai fighter is popping up everywhere these days, already having turned in two high profile fights in 2011 against Khem Sitsongpeenong and Giorgio Petrosyan. He's also entering a lot of tournaments, which is a smart move for the experience. The other participants are Michael Piskitello, Michale Lallemand, and Mohammed Rahoui.

April 24 - REBELS 7: Former K-1 MAX Korea GP champion Chi Bin Lim meets Daiki Watabe. Good to see Chi Bin Lim here, as he looked very good at the K-1 MAX Final 16 last year, but has seemingly been passed in the MAX pecking order by his countryman Su Hwan Lee.

May - Local Kombat: This one is not 100% confirmed yet, but Local Kombat revealed that their May event will likely be headlined by Daniel Ghita vs. Alexey Ignashov. Ignashov is notoriously hard to stop or even knockdown, but he's not looked good lately, and I have to think Ghita may be the man to finally stop him here.

Tonight at the GLORY 27 SuperFight Series the promotion announced that GLORY 29 will happen in Copenhagen, Denmark on Saturday, April 16th. There is only one bout announced for it thus far and it's a pretty big one as GLORY Welterweight Champion Nieky "The Natural" Holzken is set to defend his championship against Yoann Kongolo. Kongolo is currently the fourth-ranked Welterweight on the GLORY roster, making for an interesting selection especially considering how close the Groenhart bout was in Amsterdam.

On top of that GLORY has announced that there will be a Heavyweight Contender tournament to see who will challenge the Heavyweight champion. One would think that Braddock Silva will be involved after his win tonight at GLORY 27.

Also, as an aside, GLORY announced that they signed Ismael Londt during the broadcast. Whoa. Hopefully he's in a tournament because that's a name I've wanted to see in the mix for years now.

They also announced that the ESPN deal is complete and is a multi-year deal, so GLORY officially has their home in the US set in stone.

After the staggering news of Joseph Valtellini relinquishing his GLORY Welterweight Championship it was announced today via John Joe O'Regan at Sherdog that the title won't be vacant for long. On August 7th in Las Vegas Nieky Holzken will vie for the championship against Raymond Daniels in a rematch from the GLORY contender tournament that Holzken won.

The event is GLORY 23 and is set for August 7th at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas and will be airing live on Spike TV. Raymond Daniels has had some solid exposure on Spike TV and it should make for an interesting bout for the ever-evolving Daniels against the consensus top dog in the division in Holzken.

Right in line with the rumors that we've been hearing, GLORY will be heading back to Japan for the end of the year once again, this time instead of on New Year's Eve it will be on December 21st at the Ariake Colosseum in a night featuring a Welterweight/77kg tournament. The only name announced for the tournament this so far is longtime Golden Glory member Nieky Holzken, who sits atop the GLORY rankings at 77kg/170lbs currently.

If I were to wager a guess as to who else will be involved, I'd look at GLORY 10's undercard fight between Alexander Stetsurenko and Karapet Karapetyan and GLORY 11's Joe Valtellini vs. Kharim Ghajji to complete the tournament spots, but that is just a [very] educated guess on my part. They also will be booking a series of Super Fights, for what they are calling a "SuperFight Series," which does make me curious as to what that exactly means. Once again, if I were to guess, I'd say that it had something to do with Spike TV.

We've got more information coming in from United Glory from this past weekend. First up, if you are interested in the MMA portion of the card, Sherdog.com has full results from the MMA fights online. Check those out here. Video has also surfaced of both Nieky Holzken and Errol Zimmerman in their fights, so we have some details on those fights, plus those videos, below. As for the rest of the card - your guess remains as good as mine. Which, I have to say, is completely ridiculous. It's a real shame that this company would put on a show featuring multiple top 25 fighters, then not even bother to tell anyone who was actually on the show. In this day and age it's absurd not to put results up on your own site, or at the very least, visit a big message board such as Mixfight.nl and post full results. I'd like to say I'm looking forward to the next United Glory show and Guidon vs. Saki, but I have so little faith that I'll actually see the show that it's hard to drum up much interest.

Up first is Nieky Holzken vs. an unknown fighter mis-labeled as Wendy Annonay. To be clear, Holzken's opponent here is NOT Wendy Annonay, as the YouTube video states. Mr. Annonay himself contacted us to clear this up. Our sincere apologies to him, and our readers for the confusion - just more proof of the lack of information from UG. UPDATE: It appears Holzken's opponent is French fighter Carlos Tavares.

Anyway, not sure what weight class this was, as Holzken has been moving around the 70-77 range a bit lately. His opponent looks pretty big, so I would guess something higher than just 70kg. Very impressive performance from Holzken, who patiently waits for the right opening, then takes advantage once he gets it:

Next is Errol Zimmerman vs. Zinedine Hamer-Lain. After hearing Zimmerman was on this card, I was interested to see this, as the Bonecrusher has not looked too good in his last few showings. Here, we once again get the somewhat overweight looking Zimmerman - a fighter who looks distinctly different from the man who made the K-1 semi-finals 2 years ago. On the plus side, he does show off his power and aggression here, putting a heavy beating on Hamer-Lain that ends up breaking the overmatched fighter's arm. I'll call this one better than we've seen from Zimmerman lately, but still not the kind of shape I would like to see him in: